Sensor tracks the elderly

Author(s):

Marie Szaniszlo

A MassChallenge finalist has developed a wearable sensing platform that it says enables the elderly to age at home safely, alerting their loved ones to any problems.

Developed by a team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, QMedic’s wristband broadcasts to a base station, which is connected to a landline outlet in the home, and then into the company’s server, monitoring behavior such as sleep, physical activity and extended periods outside the home.

“Because we’re continually monitoring their behavior, we can learn what’s typical for them and what’s not,” said Sombit Mishra, the company’s CEO. “In this way, we can pre-emptively detect early signs of decline.”

The wearer’s loved one or caregiver can choose what kinds of deviations in behavior they wish to be notified about via text message, Mishra said.

In the case of a fall or other emergency, the wearer can press a button on the wristband to connect to the company’s around-the-clock call center via a speaker on the base station.

If the call center can’t hear the person, it will call the wearer’s phone, and if no one picks up, it will dispatch an emergency medical technician and alert the loved one, Mishra said.

The wristband’s durable, waterproof design allows people to wear it in the bath or shower, where falls often occur. The device also has a battery life of one year, and the company monitors the battery level and replaces the wristband when a new battery is needed, Mishra said.

The cost is $99 to activate the device and $40 a month after that. But for the rest of this year, QMedic is running a promotion discounting the monthly fee to $30.

Mishra and his co-founders, Dave Nelson and Fahd Albinali, originally came together at MIT in 2010 around the idea that they could help people make more informed decisions about their health, using sensing technology.

But it wasn’t until 2012 that they decided to focus on sensors for the elderly, specifically, seniors who live at home.

According to AARP, there are 76 million baby boomers retiring, and 90 percent of them want to age in their own home.

“This creates an enormous need because people are living longer and with diseases and conditions that need to be managed at home,” Mishra said. “The whole point is to create a fail-safe option to make sure they’re OK.”